Parker Just Completed Its Latest Lap -- A Sling-Shot Around Venus... Headed Back Toward The Sun.

More cool space science: Parker continues to shave its orbital proximity -- to our host star, now by using Venusian gravity to slow it a bit at a time, and allow it to "fall in" -- ever closer, on its next solar dip.

Ever closer -- here's the latest from a few hours ago, at NASA's Parker mission blog:

. . .At just after 5:30 a.m. EDT, moving about 15 miles (24 kilometers) per second, the spacecraft swooped 2,370 miles (3,814 kilometers) above Venus’ surface. Such gravity assists are essential to the mission to bring Parker Solar Probe progressively closer to the Sun; the spacecraft counts on the planet to reduce its orbital energy, which in turn allows it to travel closer to the Sun and measure the properties of the solar wind near its source. . . .

This was the fifth of seven planned Venus gravity assists. The flyby reduced Parker Solar Probe’s orbital speed by about 6,040 miles per hour (9,720 kilometers per hour), and set it up for its 10th close pass (or perihelion) by the Sun, on Nov. 21, 2021. . . .

Now you know -- smiling as I gazed up at Venus tonight, a soft orange dot, in the failing light. Actually, more a smudge, very near the horizon, to the West -- an hour ago. . . and I was imagining lil' Parker burning on past her, there -- out, into the long silent night. Grin. . . . g'night, all.

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